Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 140
Prayer for Rescue
For the choir director. A Davidic psalm.
1 Rescue me, Lord, from evil men.
Keep me safe from violent men(A)
2 who plan evil in their hearts.
They stir up wars all day long.(B)
3 They make their tongues
as sharp as a snake’s bite;
viper’s venom is under their lips.(C)
4 Protect me, Lord,
from the clutches of the wicked.(D)
Keep me safe from violent men
who plan to make me stumble.[a](E)
5 The proud hide a trap with ropes for me;
they spread a net along the path
and set snares for me.(F)
6 I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”
Listen, Lord, to my cry for help.(G)
7 Lord God, my strong Savior,
You shield my head on the day of battle.(H)
8 Lord, do not grant the desires of the wicked;
do not let them achieve their goals.
Otherwise, they will become proud.(I)
16 This is what the Lord of Hosts says: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They are making you worthless. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the Lord’s mouth. 17 They keep on saying to those who despise Me, ‘The Lord has said: You will have peace.’(A) They have said to everyone who follows the stubbornness of his heart, ‘No harm will come to you.’”
18 For who has stood in the council(B) of the Lord
to see and hear His word?
Who has paid attention to His word and obeyed?
19 Look, a storm from the Lord!(C)
Wrath has gone out,
a whirling storm.
It will whirl about the heads of the wicked.
20 The Lord’s anger will not turn back
until He has completely fulfilled the purposes of His heart.
In time to come you will understand it clearly.(D)
21 I did not send these prophets,(E)
yet they ran with a message.
I did not speak to them,
yet they prophesied.
22 If they had really stood in My council,
they would have enabled My people to hear My words
and would have turned them back from their evil ways
and their evil deeds.
Persecutions Predicted
16 “Look, I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as harmless as doves.(A) 17 Because people will hand you over to sanhedrins[a] and flog you in their synagogues,(B) beware of them. 18 You will even be brought before governors and kings because of Me, to bear witness to them and to the nations.(C) 19 But when they hand you over, don’t worry about how or what you should speak.(D) For you will be given what to say at that hour, 20 because you are not speaking, but the Spirit(E) of your Father is speaking through you.(F)
21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will even rise up against their parents and have them put to death.(G) 22 You will be hated by everyone because of My name.(H) But the one who endures to the end will be delivered.[b](I) 23 When they persecute you in one town, escape to another.(J) For I assure you: You will not have covered the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. 24 A disciple[c] is not above his teacher, or a slave above his master.(K) 25 It is enough for a disciple to become like his teacher and a slave like his master. If they called the head of the house ‘Beelzebul,’ how much more the members of his household!(L)
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